Daily Republican., 1887-12-19
Preparing for winter.
From tho American Rural Home.

/: Is alwsyS a pleasurs 10 me when
winter cones on il can say to nYself,
come on old Borens with y0ur north
ern blasts, l an ready for you" SINE.
times. whea 1t GENES very early, We get
caught With some work that should be
done. unfinished In such cases, heside rs
being dtsagreea5le closing up tho tall
work, it is aiso Eore expensive than II
other wiBe wculd os, This yesr fsll
crops Rere A;l gathered, ;he RAJ spnersies,
blaokoerfies aud grapes ali laid &c NJ
aud covered, The surface crsipg Gll
nics!y oOeaeG, 70 tba, 10 wG.er from
our heavy winter and spring ssins (pro
Videf We have Any such) caa rensin
upon the surface OF sac prGCnG, anG eli
done IN Ropt lir1e
Tue only unfiu!]hed work ia the gar
dan is the e.ra Rb5rry 6ed6, which are
uot ali cJvsrsi, exc pt with snow. We
do not iik3 to cover them unit! she
ground is fr0zsn and apparently abvnt
the beginning 0! winter, bat nov 1e
must leave them until the Snow leare 4
us again. II may Do asked IL the .Uow
is not sufficient COVERING? Yee, II IT
would only remain upon them uutii
late In she spring, nothing could be bet
ter. Bat wo are 30 liable to hRve 3.
thaw bs fors spring, and almost oertaiu
to have mum oer OF weeks of thAviov
days and fre'zinR nights during taD
breaking up OF winter, that dare rot
risE she snow for W inter- protection.
pretcc marsh hay 20 straw for win
ter over, for the reason that IL has no
foul seeda in 1t 10 grow add nske as
almost no end of work next spring (
have one p,at OF Eve acres of yinee
" here do not believe you could gather
as much weeds aud grass conbined as
you could carry home in one pocket.
and TO hsve that entire piece thick iy
teeded "ith weeds, grass and Canada
thisties, is not a pleasant thin x either
TO contemplate or EealiZa.
In putting On ths cover We spread the
hay ss evenly hs possible and Just thick
enough to hide the plants 10 the
spriag We leave IL on until the ground
is done free0ing and Lhawing believe
that beds are often se'iousiy aamagsi
In the spring by the constant freezing
and thswing, and this is particularly
true upon hesvy clay soil that ia not
thoroughly drained. The freezing
forms what Is often called y honey comb
upon the top OF the ground and around
the plants, In 30 doirR the plants are
Oiteh Eklbou ubblc iEOin LIelE uAiutal
position, and they either have their
roots started In the fros sn earth or else
broken off, either OF which is fatal to q
good crcp Of fruit.
It seems 10 rae that many fruit grow
ers fail TO realize she Importance of
winter protection for their small fl uiss.
In our climate all our email fruits (cur-
rapss and gooseberries exec pted1 re-
euire winter protection. With good
care and cultivation, and thsn good
winter protection, regard the straw
bsrry crop most certs.aty. In fact,
l have nos failed in mors than 20 years
to have ut least a paying crops and most
years either large or very largo ones.
Without this cara ard protection fail.
ures, either wholly Of par E.ia!ly, will
come very often.
With your cors5nt shall have scIae.
thing IL say upon winter protection for
rss pberIies, biack berries aud grapes.
Wife says that was caught in toe 90
tobsr frse:s, which 10 very t:us; bat
that wss an aaDeaid o' thing !n this
pare OF the k3tA:e, and we vera not then
even preparing for winter, II wss at a
t.mo when our cabbage and celery nre
usually E!oHinG rasiidIg.